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Discovering Hanoi's Coffee Culture

Recently I had the chance to visit Hanoi, Vietnam's capital. A leisurely sightseeing trip paired with delicious coffee made for a perfect experience.

Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, sits in the north of the country. Compared with Ho Chi Minh City in the south—extremely busy and commercially developed—Hanoi presents itself as an ancient city with a traditional atmosphere. Because many important national institutions are located here, public security is well maintained. On this trip I stayed at a hotel near Hanoi's famous Hoan Kiem Lake and the renowned 36 Ancient Streets (Hanoi Old Quarter). Wandering among locals and foreign backpackers, I could observe Vietnam's local coffee culture up close while sightseeing and see how much space it occupies in people's hearts.

Hanoi's 36 Ancient Streets

At first glance, Hanoi's streets bear some resemblance to those in Taiwan—Asian-looking pedestrians, fairly narrow street designs, a slightly cluttered layout, and noisy, vibrant sounds day and night. But there are several distinctly different things—those unique Vietnamese characteristics you never forget after a few days there.

First, the extremely chaotic traffic in certain areas and at peak hours is the most obvious and frequently mentioned Vietnamese street trait. Vietnam has many roads, but they clearly cannot handle the growing population and vehicles. Tourist areas and downtown districts are always crowded, peak hour or not. Vietnamese roads are quite long, yet traffic lights are rarely installed. Cars and motorcycles habitually crawl through traffic and advance gradually. For short distances, people are used to traffic taking at least double the time Google Maps suggests.

What's more, motorcycle riders never miss a chance to enjoy their freedom and announce their presence. Even while riding, they can still use a phone (or drink a Coke, or anything else you can do with one free hand) and honk at the right moment to let nearby pedestrians or vehicles know they are there. In local traffic, horns are a way of communicating—telling pedestrians they are coming through, reminding cars to watch their direction, or complaining about someone's serious violation—unlike in Taiwan and many other places, where a horn is usually a final warning.

Subtle horn sounds of different tones, frequencies, and meanings drift in from all directions. Vietnamese streets are never truly lonely.

Hanoi has few intersections and traffic lights. For someone wanting to cross the street, the most important tool is a firm gaze and determination. When you look steadily at the road, keep a steady pace, and don't fear the vehicles passing by, locals will judge your speed, position, and safety range and make way at the right moment so you can cross safely.

Feeling out of control in life? Want to experience Moses parting the Red Sea? Buy a Vietnam Airlines ticket, and you can keep experiencing traffic parting before you wherever you go. In areas where local traffic conditions are unfamiliar, or where traffic is like mud regardless of the time (such as tourist zones), it is still wise to be aware of your surroundings. And if you are injured and need medical care in Vietnam, foreigners must pay several times more than locals.

Vietnam's Coffee Culture

Besides transportation, the second thing is the leisurely atmosphere and rich coffee aroma that permeates Vietnamese life.

Vietnamese life has long been deeply influenced by France, and the ubiquitous coffee culture is an obvious example. From the tourist-flooded 36 Ancient Streets to the quieter French Old Quarter, wherever pedestrians pass there are always several coffee shops or tea houses, with young and old sitting in small groups drinking coffee and chatting.

Along the pedestrian streets there are artistic coffee shops with open air conditioning, outdoor seating, and street vendors with small stools. Besides the two most famous local coffee chains, Trung Nguyen and Highlands Coffee, quite a few Taiwanese brands such as Ding Tea and Chen San Ding have opened tea shops in Hanoi, adjusting the taste to local preferences.

Local taste leans toward heavier flavors. The sugar content in hand-shaken drinks and convenience-store canned teas is astonishing, and they often carry artificial flavoring. Anyone used to lightly sweetened or unsweetened drinks should carry a small bottle of water, or thirst may wear down the will to shop faster than the heat (though Hanoi can feel hotter than Taipei because the air is drier).

Local Coffee Chains

Note: official websites of the two major local coffee chains:

Trung Nguyen Coffee: http://www.trungnguyen.com.vn/

Highlands Coffee: http://www.highlandscoffee.com.vn/vi/home

During this trip to Hanoi I visited a local coffee chain, Cong Coffee, several times. The store design—full of military green and revolutionary-era decor—is quite recognizable, and there is always a queue at the door for takeout.

Cong Coffee has several branches near Hanoi's 36 Ancient Streets (it has expanded to Ho Chi Minh City). It stays open until about midnight and offers plenty of comfortable seats, making it a good place to sit, drink coffee, and chat when tired from shopping.

The photo above shows a large commercial Vietnamese drip coffee maker that can brew several cups at once. Later, while waiting for boarding at Noi Bai Airport, I saw the same equipment in airport restaurants and cafes, so it must be common commercial gear. Compared with the single-serve drip coffee maker we bought ourselves, this machine—about the width of a regular juicer—is enormous.

The local classic is black coffee drizzled with condensed milk to offset the strong bitterness of concentrated Robusta (that is, coffee with condensed milk on the menu below). The taste is distinctive and very refreshing, but unfortunately it is not for anyone who cannot handle much caffeine. If you can only drink lattes and light black coffee, take care not to drink too much Vietnamese coffee, to avoid heart palpitations.

The photo above shows the classic iced coffee takeout. Because it is concentrated coffee liquid with condensed milk, the cup is only half full when you receive it. Have some boiled water ready to quench your thirst.

One thing I found puzzling was that Cong Coffee's coffee menu is only one page, though Cong Coffee does offer many other drink and snack choices. Locally produced peanuts with the skin on, paired with rich coffee, are novel but surprisingly fitting. If you get the chance to go to Vietnam, besides bringing back Vietnamese drip coffee makers, I also suggest bringing back several boxes of local skin-on nuts to pair with coffee.

In-store iced coffee contains large amounts of crushed ice that slowly seep into the coffee, gradually harmonizing the overly thick, bitter concentrated coffee with the sweet condensed milk until it is just right—drinkable without being overwhelming.

Compared with Cong Coffee, Trung Nguyen Coffee stores are mainly white and wood-themed, decorated more like common coffee shops around the world. Unfortunately, this branch doesn't have many seats.

The store offers various coffee powders from Trung Nguyen and its G7 series, as well as freshly ground coffee powder and branded Vietnamese coffee makers. You can order a cup of coffee in the store first before deciding which coffee powder to buy.

Vietnamese Coffee Beans

Note: Vietnamese coffee beans

Vietnam is currently the world's largest coffee-exporting country. Most exported coffee beans are Robusta used for instant coffee, such as the world-famous G7 series instant coffee made by Trung Nguyen (available at PX Mart), rather than the Arabica beans often used as single-origin or specialty coffee (Brazil is the world's largest Arabica exporter).

Robusta trees suit the tropical climate of Asia and are less limited by growing environment. Their coffee often carries acidity and a strong aroma, with caffeine content around 2%-4%. Arabica trees suit Africa and Central and South America, and are also grown in northern Vietnam. They have richer flavor layers and abundant aroma, with caffeine content around 1%-2%.

For a more detailed comparison of coffee beans, see: http://www.foodnext.net/news/newssafe/paper/4357981492

In Vietnam, because the most popular brewing method—Vietnamese drip coffee—uses coffee powder, most coffee brands value powder more than whole beans.

The photo above shows coffee-related products sold in one of Hanoi's supermarkets. You can see that Vietnamese people mainly consume two related products: instant coffee and coffee powder. Compared with whole beans, which require a grinder and are not yet ground, coffee powder that can be brewed quickly in a drip coffee maker clearly has the advantage and better meets daily needs. Common flavors include Culi (a slightly bitter Robusta and Arabica blend) and Moka (mild Arabica beans), as well as unique blends from various brands.

Influenced by French colonization, Vietnamese coffee makers extract coffee by drip methods, similar to the rich mouthfeel of the French press. Vietnamese coffee is therefore usually quite strong. Coffee makers are mostly single-serve small pots. For example, the second and third items pictured above are Vietnamese drip coffee makers sold in Hanoi markets (about VND 30,000-50,000, or TWD 40-70). Because these makers are so common, the market mainly deals in coffee powder. The most famous brands, Highlands Coffee and Trung Nguyen Coffee, for instance, sell only coffee powder in supermarkets or Lotte Malls, not whole beans.

Vietnamese coffee makers come in many options. This time I bought a Trung Nguyen Vietnamese coffee maker (about VND 50,000, or TWD 70). The aluminum body is quite lightweight and beautifully made.

A Vietnamese coffee maker has four parts: the lid, the body, the press plate, and the bottom plate.

Before making coffee, you should wash or rinse the coffee maker with boiled water. Because Vietnamese drip coffee makers usually extract a fairly concentrated liquid, the coffee stains inside the body pictured below are a painful lesson from not cleaning it right after use.

Vietnamese Drip Coffee Brewing Method

Vietnamese drip coffee is quite simple and convenient, which is why locals often drink several cups a day. The steps are summarized briefly below (you can also watch an instructional video made by others).

*If you want to drink authentic Vietnamese coffee, remember to add some condensed milk to the cup before extracting the coffee, and prepare ice cubes to add afterward.

1. Place the whole Vietnamese coffee maker set over your favorite cup
2. Open the lid and take out the press plate
3. Pour in an appropriate amount of any coffee powder you like (usually about 10 g for one cup)
4. Press and flatten the coffee powder with the press plate, then pour in an appropriate amount of hot water to moisten it fully
5. Pour in hot water again until you reach your desired coffee concentration
6. Cover with the lid, set the cup aside, and wait for the slow drip extraction

After a short wait you can enjoy a rich cup of Vietnamese coffee—but be careful not to be caught off guard by the concentrated taste and a little coffee powder. When the coffee has finished filtering, you can also place the lid upside down under the bottom plate to keep coffee powder off the tabletop.

Anyone worried about too much caffeine or a sour-bitter mix can of course use coffee powder made from Arabica. Try different coffee equipment to enjoy another distinctive tasting method.

FrontStreet Coffee: a roastery in Guangzhou with a small shop but a wide range of beans, where you can find various famous and lesser-known coffees, along with online shop service. https://shop104210103.taobao.com

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Vietnamese coffee is built on Robusta and condensed milk, but if you would rather brew with Arabica—as the article suggests for anyone sensitive to caffeine—FrontStreet Coffee's entry-level range is a good place to start. The FrontStreet Brazil Cerrado Red Bourbon is a classic Brazilian single origin: medium roasted, with creamy peanut, toasted bread, caramel, and hazelnut aromas, a rounded body, no acidity, and a light bitterness, and it suits pour-over, moka pot, espresso, siphon, or French press.

For something lower in acidity and thicker in body, closer to the Vietnamese profile, the FrontStreet Indonesia Lintong Mandheling is wet-hulled and medium-dark roasted, with caramel, dark chocolate, and toasted bread aromas and a long, sweet finish. Brew either one in a Vietnamese drip filter, add condensed milk if you like, and you have a cup in the local style made from beans you can trace.